


Relief

by LadyMonday



Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:28:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24753184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyMonday/pseuds/LadyMonday
Summary: This short story takes place after the party leave Midgar, directly after the events of FFVII Remake.This is my first fan fiction in years, so I’m sorry if I’m a little rusty! :)
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Comments: 6
Kudos: 65





	Relief

The group had been walking for hours, the sun burned across the horizon, heat giving away to the cool breeze of the evening. The once lighthearted chatter between them had fallen to contented silence, after finding shelter, since then Cloud began to gradually succumb to fatigue. 

The aching of his muscles set in. The pain crept behind his eyes. His feet were throbbing. He had even managed to catch the back of his arm along the blade of his sword. No, this wasn’t right. He didn’t feel well at all.  
Cloud feigned he was going to do a final sweep of the area, and slinked through the door and back outside. Meanwhile, Aerith cocked an eyebrow, muttering something under her breath about lying.

There it was again, the static scoring across his mind. Sinking into his consciousness in a thousand shards of blinding, white pain. Cloud’s lips pursed together, fighting the urge to let out a cry of pain; so preoccupied with the thumping in his head, he did not hear the flower girl’s steps purposefully striding behind him.

His gaze blurred, colourful spots dance across his vision. That’s when the pain crippled him. Cloud’s legs gave out; he stumbled backwards, his body colliding against the canyon rock behind him.

“Cloud!” He blinked, barely make out that familiar voice calling his name, before Aerith came bounding forward. “It’s okay, you’re still with me. Just breathe.”

Cloud gripped his head, nails digging into his scalp. Eyes closed, scrunched tight in agony. With every breath in, air escaped him.  
He couldn’t, he couldn’t! His lungs were burning, dying to take a breath, but he was paralysed. Everything was paralysed.

Each word like a blade dragging across the flesh of his lungs, “I can’t— _Hihh.... **help!**_ ”

Fear flickered across Aerith’s features, before determination pushed it aside. “Here,” Tentative fingers ran over his hair, until her hand settled on his forehead. Cloud’s vision turned to white. Everything went quiet and still.

His feet hadn’t left the ground, he knew he was still standing, but this sensation... whatever Aerith had done, made him feel as though he were floating in the air.

At last, Cloud could breathe. His arms fell to his sides. Deep, shaking breaths were swallowed greedily by Cloud’s lungs. Relief spiralled through him in warm circles; the pain was gone.

An almost inaudible intake of breath rushed past Aerith’s lips, a blink made her green eyes shine into emerald pools. Cloud’s expression softened. She swore he leaned into her touch.

“Did... that help?” Aerith asked softly.

An gentle nod of the head, Cloud spoke, barely above a whisper. “Yeah.”

That shining smile bloomed onto Aerith’s lips, she let out a great, dramatic sigh. “Thank goodness! You had me worried there for a minute.” She affectionately ruffled Cloud’s hair, to which Cloud made no attempt to stop her. “Don’t scare me like that, Cloud!” Aerith almost froze entirely, taken aback at how undoubtedly soft his hair was.

“Sorry,” The ex-solider blinked back the wetness from his blue eyes, “Didn’t mean to make you worry.”

Aerith spoke, gentler this time, “It’s alright. At least now I know I can do something instead of watching-” She paused, her hand left the nest of Cloud’s blond hair and came to rest on her chest. “Instead of... watching you suffer.”

Cloud sank. Couldn’t she leave her hand there a little longer? His memory took him back when Aerith hadn’t hesitated to reach out to Red XIII, to bring him back when he had lost himself. Her hand grazed his fur. The contented smile on Red’s face. The feeling of envy made Cloud turn away in shame and his face burn with an emotion he did not want to acknowledge.

Cloud’s fists tightened at his sides.  
“Aerith,” As soon as Cloud spoke it, he realised how very little he said her name. Even Aerith froze at its utterance and the suddenness of his tone.

“Yes, Cloud?”

Cloud went to clasp her hand, but at the last second, his cowardice settled for her wrist. “Thank you.” He uttered. He didn’t dare look her in the eye. 

Aerith encased the hand holding her wrist, speaking with such a tenderness it made Cloud weak all over again. “Please promise me, if you feel your... ‘headaches’ coming on, don’t try to hide them. I’ll help you - I’ll always help you. Okay, Cloud?”

Cloud knew he had been through enough, the pain, his scars, the loss of the ones he cared for... he managed to endure it all.  
But something inside Cloud quaked. How could he not have realised that her feather-light touch could cause such a devastating dream to flower in his heart?

“Okay.” Cloud promised. 

Happy with his answer, Aerith skipped behind him, and with her hands firmly on his back, ushered Cloud toward the shelter. “Come along then, I know you need your beauty sleep!” She laughed.

And Cloud was glad she wasn’t able to see a smile he could no longer contain.


End file.
